The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1887-08-13
Mr.. POLK TALBERT AND PROHIBITION.

EDITOR GAZETTE In your is-
sue Of July 23rd, you notice an
anti-Prohibition letter of mine, in
which you pay me what might
be termed cleft hand compli-
ment." Since you have seen
proper TO give that letter an un-
favorable notice, l have conclu-
ded to write you one upon the
same subject, which you can pub
lish if you see proper.
understand Prohibition claims
that to make, vend, or use as a
beverage, Intoxicating liquors, is
immoral and sinful, and that its
leading advocates propose to pre-
vent these things by procuring the
adoption Of an amendment to the
constitution of the United States,
and the passage of laws necessary
to its enforcement. / was dis
posed to look upon this thing un-
fayorably from the start, because
1t originated among a people who
always appeared to honestly be-
lieve they had more religion than
was necessary to carry them TO
heaven, and anxious to cram the
surplus down other peoples
throats, and the more have
studied 1T the less think of it.
Is 1t true that to make, ,vend, or
use as beverage intoxicating
liquors is immoral and SINFUL /?
"And God said behold l have
given you every herb bearing seed
which is upoa the face of all the
earth and every tree, in the which
is the fruit of tree yielding seed,
to you 1t shall be for meat" The
Savior called wine the fruit of the
vine, and it must be the fruit of
either herb or tree, and unto man
was given for meat or to be used
Can you say less of whisky than
this, without discrcditing your
Creator? That the wine used by
the Savior and His disciples was
such as would produce intoxica-
tion, is proved; first, by tho abb
sence of any instance of wine
mentioned in the scriptures, that
would not produce such effect /;
second, by the numerous instances
mentioned in the scriptures where
the wine used by the ancients did
produce such effect; third, by the
repeated admonitions in the scrip
lures, warning the people of God
not to be drunken with wine,
wherein is excess. Then to an
s@er tue above question allirma-
lively, would implieate Christ and
the apostles as immoral and sinful,
and not only them, but also the
following brilliant array of illus.
trious names to which as many
more might be added: Noah, Lot
Melchisedek, Abram, Isaac, Jacob
Judah, David, Nehemiah, Esther
Job, Elihu, Solomon and David
Prohibition claims to be in har.
mony with Democracy. One 0.
our most distinguished political
writers wrote: "Democracy il
christianity applied to politics
Christ said lido unto others al
you would have them do unto
you" that is recognize the right
in others you claim for yourself
God has placed good and evil be
fore man, and endowed him will
abundant capacity to understand
what is best for him, and hold
him and him alone responsible 70
the use he makes Of this capacity
He cannot delegate this to another
he is forced frem the necessity O
his organism to act Tor himself
and the weakest OF men would bt
miserable if be abdicated his man
, hood and surrenoered his will 4
the w.sest man in the community
If this be true. then it is man
business to govern himself IN al
that pertains to himself.This Prohi
bition PROPOSES not to allow hin
to do, for it proposes to compe
him not to make, vend, or us'
as a beverage intoxicating liquor
lest he gets drunk, and in doin,
this it compels him to surrende
/, his manhood, and will, to th
State. Abraham Lincoln, in on
of his great speeches delivere'
during his debate with Dougla
, on the slavery question said
.Thc doctrine Of sclf-goyernmen
, is right absolutely and eternal.
right. When man govern
himself that is self-goyernment
but when he governs himself an
also another man, tlfat is NOR
? than self-goyernment-that